The biggest myth around #innovation? That it's somehow a "risky business proposition."
Trying something new means ambiguity, change and yes, even failure.
Status quo may seem like a safe place unless of course your standing on the edge of a literal or figurative forest fire...
COVID 19, the "Great Resignation," climate change, supply chain issues, worker shortages, big data, the hyper-acceleration of digital, the numerous forms of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) issues brought to the fore of late...
Like it or not, change and innovation are all around. Leaders have one of two options:
1) Hunker down with the "safety" of the status quo while the world around you transforms beyond recognition. I know it's overused, but truly Blockbuster is the quintessential example of this.
Or...
2) Get busy embracing the ambiguity. Get comfortable with the uncomfortable. Consider... the trends, problems and opportunities that abound around you. Get acquainted with those "Thought Leaders," and what they're saying--even if you think most of what they're saying is hyperbolic crap because sometimes they get a lot of it right. When Bill Gates described the mobile phone of the "future"--a pocket PC--in 1999, the audience laughed at the absurdity of what is now an insanely accurate vision of how we all operate today.
Talk to people...in your industry, on your team, on the front lines. What are they saying? What do they see on the horizon? Better still, what are they continuously struggling with that needs solving? And what can you do about it?
Start small and dream big.
Most importantly, when you're challenged by the naysayers suggesting that the status quo is better the unknown risks of change (and there are lots of those people to go around) be sure to ask:
What's the risk if we stand still?
Need help with #changemanagement or developing an #innovationstrategy? Contact us for a chat!